Important learning method as a programmer

Most of the times, we’re learning just a little too much. We’re attracted to interesting stuff like a moth to a flame. Or oftentimes we just learn what everybody else around us is learning or what we’re told to learn, not knowing why we should learn it. Fact is, however, after we’ve grasped the essential knowledge, other stuff can just be learned on an as-needed basis. Don’t fall into technical details unless they’re essential or needed right away. There’s just unlimited number of details to follow in this area; you can put your time to something more useful (learning the essentials, learning the ideas, or even just another language).

On the other hand, however, we’re learning too little. We blind ourselves to the really important subjects just because they look dull. Tests? That’s like wearing condoms before having sex! Refactoring? Why do we have to do something that’s not going to generate new functionalities and not shinny at all? Defensive Programming? No thanks, I know what I’m doing here. API Design? Oh-Man, it’s just too darn hard to consider how somebody else would be using my code when I’m writing the SPLENDID implementation. New languages? What… R U saying that mine is not good enough? Did U NOT see how I can bend the language to do whatever the heck I want it to do?